STRASBOURG, September 30 (RIA Novosti), Daria Chernyshova - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution to counter manifestations of neo-Nazism during the fall session underway in Strasbourg.
"The Parliamentary Assembly unequivocally condemns the increasing number of manifestations of neo-Nazism (right-wing extremism) and the rise of neo-Nazi parties and movements in Europe, some of which have entered parliament at national or European level," the resolution says.
"This is not an isolated phenomenon particular to some Council of Europe member states, but rather a problem with pan-European dimensions. It often lays dormant in society until the right conditions for emergence come about. It can thus only be effectively tackled on the basis of shared experiences and good practice among member states," the document reads.
European parliamentarians held a debate on Tuesday and strongly opposed the spread of neo-Nazi groups across Europe particularly after parliamentary elections in May 2014.
"Neo-Nazis should not be ignored; they should not be turned into martyrs either," Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin from Swedish Group of the European People's Party and a PACE Rapporteur said in her address to the assembly.
"If popular disappointment over harsh economic conditions and frustration triggered by governmental failures to implement comprehensive migration policies may, in some cases, partly explain the rising popularity of neo-Nazi parties as a "protest vote," this only further enhances the responsibility of government representatives and democratic politicians, who should stand up and unite in defending democratic values," the resolution says.
The signing comes after a strong showing by far-right parties in the recent European Parliament elections, as economic turbulence and austerity measures have strengthened voters' nationalist sentiments.
The year 2014 has seen the rise of nationalist tendencies all across Europe, mostly manifesting in such countries as Britain, France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Austria and the Netherlands.
